Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams Return to Training for Spain
Spain’s World Cup build-up finally brought a dose of good news on Thursday. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were back on the training pitch, running, working with the ball, and easing the tension around La Roja’s camp ahead of Monday’s opener against Cape Verde in Atlanta.
For weeks, the conversation around Spain has circled the same worry: would their two explosive wingers make it in time? Both were central to the Euro 2024 triumph, both have spent the spring watching from the treatment room.
Yamal, Barcelona’s teenage phenomenon, has not played since pulling up with a hamstring injury on April 22. Every update since then has been measured, every training session missed a reminder of how much Spain lean on his creativity and courage on the ball.
On the opposite flank, Williams has been in a similar race against the clock. The Athletic Bilbao forward missed the final stretch of his club’s season and has gone a month without competitive minutes. For a player who builds his game on power and repetition, that layoff matters.
The sight of both men working with the group changed the mood. No separate drills. No distant running lanes. They were in with the squad, feeling the rhythm again.
“We know that both of them are coming back from important injuries,” right-back Pedro Porro told reporters, underlining the caution that still surrounds them. “They are recovering, they are happy, they are with the group and that is the most important thing.”
Luis de la Fuente has been consistent in public: optimism, but not recklessness. Earlier this week he stressed that he expects Yamal and Williams to play some part against Cape Verde, while warning that a starting role is unlikely. Spain want them at this World Cup, not just in this first game.
That stance shapes his selection. Spanish media report that De la Fuente plans to stick with the XI that beat Peru 3-1 in their final warm-up friendly, a performance that calmed nerves and clarified options. In that match, Alex Baena and Ferran Torres stepped in on the wings, offering industry, movement and goals in place of the usual star power.
They are set to do so again in Atlanta, at least from the start. It gives Spain a familiar structure and buys Yamal and Williams more recovery time, while still keeping the threat of their introduction in reserve. Few teams relish the idea of chasing Lamine Yamal’s left foot or Nico Williams’ pace in the final half-hour of a World Cup tie.
For now, Spain can tick off a key box in their checklist: their Euro 2024 heroes are back on the grass, smiling, competing, edging closer. The real question is not whether they will feature in this World Cup, but how soon De la Fuente dares to unleash them.
